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LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS IN CHIEF

Jackson Ferderer

“We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.”
– Angela Davis

“[Art] is an instrument of war.”
– Pablo Picasso

LandEscapes, to me, is a war against silence.

Students around this nation, and around the world, have minimal say in how our lives are ran. The professors we learn from are not elected by us. The administration who dictate our tuition costs, they are not of our choosing. The grading scale that will decide if we are eligible for a piece of paper, which in turn will decide if we are eligible to feed our families, was not developed by us. The laws in this country were either written by men who are are now dead, or will be dying soon. In short, their decisions will steer the course of our entire lives while only impacting the last decade or so of theirs.

But they do not know us. They haven’t lived our experiences. Our generation is told to accept the status quo or lest we be labeled a snowflake. To demand the same opportunities as our predecessors is to be deemed entitled.

Let us be entitled, then. Let us be entitled to basic human rights. Let us be entitled to the dismantling of systems of oppression. Let us be entitled to a voice in the conversation.

LandEscapes is that voice. This year we had over three hundred submit to our journal— three hundred students who refused to remain quiet. Collected in this book and on our website are the pieces we felt best represented those voices. Some are light-hearted, others are heartbreaking. Others demand that you open your eyes and see what’s been in front of you all along, for better or worse. The common string throughout all of them, though, is that they come from artists that could no longer hold their silence.

Acting as megaphones, our editors helped polish their words. The LandEscapes staff helped wash away any dust or dirt and helped every word come through as clean and clear as possible. Our design team then created the sleekest volume of the magazine yet, the one you hold right now. I couldn’t be happier with what the entire staff was able to help create.

This was a collaborative project, not only between editor and artist, but more importantly, between students. We hope that it encourages you to speak up in your own way.

Make sure you have a voice.

Lauren Getzin

­Throughout this journey of creating the beautiful, sexy, black and gold edition of LandEscapes, I realized a few things. LandEscapes not only serves as an escape from the ever changing landscape of Pullman, the rest of the country, and the world around us, but it also stands to prove a point. Writing or creating art isn’t just a hobby, it’s the ability to find beauty in the ugly that surrounds us, to evoke a tear, a laugh, a smile, or a powerful thought, from a single picture, painting, or story. We as students will come out of this tiny town full of nothing, and make an impact with our art, filling the world with the beauty of everything we can create. We creators are important, we are powerful, and we make a difference in the lives of everyone around us by not only entertaining them, but by making a statement, or evoking a feeling.

LandEscapes of 2017, wrapped in a beautiful black, bursts with color through every creation the students of WSU have made. Our team of editors took each piece and found the best within them, molding each into perfection until they fit flawlessly into the cover of our book. Our design team created this journal from nothing. They imagined a cover that would encapsulate the enticing allure of darkness and hold within it page after page of captivating art. Our marketing team spread the word about the coming of the journal that will release the tired students from the weight of their textbooks and allow them to witness the talent of their fellow classmates. I am proud of this book we have made, and hope that we as creators never fail to make our mark on the world.